The first Toyota, an AA was built in 1936, but the company was founded in 1937 and is today one of the world's largest car makers. During the 40s and 50s Toyota were predominantly making cars for its domestic market and East Asia, but the Crown was introduced in the USA 1957, and some years later in Europe. Toyota, like many of the Japanese brands, were looked upon as odd cars in Europe and the US for many years, but through persistence and by gaining a well deserved reputation for quality, Toyota is today one of the largest car makers in the world.

1997 the Toyota Priuswas launched, the world's first mass produced hybrid car, and it with it Toyota has been a couple of steps ahead of the competition in terms of making more environmentally friendly cars, a lead that other car makers are catching up right now.